The man tried to steal Gayle Benson’s car while she was there, NOPD and Saints say | Crime / Police

New Orleans Saints and Pelicans owner Gayle Benson was sitting upside down in his car last weekend when police and team officials confirmed Friday that someone had entered and tried to steal the vehicle.

The man abandoned his plan when Benson shouted to leave. Saints and New Orleans police say investigators are now searching for a suspect.

Police did not identify the details of the meeting by Benson’s name. But longtime Saints and Pelicans spokesman Greg Penzell confirmed that his vehicle was the target of what police classified as a vehicle theft attempt.

Last Saturday, Oct. 10, at 2:15 p.m., police said a white Nissan Titan was parked near Benson’s car on the 6200 block of South Glyborne Avenue.

Police said the man climbed back on the Titan and fled when Benson was ordered to get out of his car.

“When he was so traumatized at the time, he was unharmed and fine,” Penzel said in a statement Friday. “He wanted to send his sincere thanks to the men and women of the New Orleans Police Department who responded quickly and professionally.”

Benson and a police source said the intruder approached Benson while he was sitting in the back of his car and that his driver had gone into a business in the area. Police did not classify the crime as a carjacking attempt because there was no evidence that the intruder realized Benson was inside the vehicle.

Investigators have not named any suspects in the case, and have asked anyone with information to call crime stoppers at (504) 822-1111.

According to unofficial City Council figures, Benson’s brush with car thieves is coming down as overall crime in New Orleans is down 11% compared to 2019. As of Thursday, crimes such as carjacking and vehicle theft were down 18% and 76%, respectively, the figures show.

An attempt to steal the car of the NFL and NBA owner also occurred between a few weeks after his football team.

Oct. Mercedes Benz was unable to compete in the Super Dome due to corona virus restrictions.

Fullback Michael Burton initially received a positive corona virus test result after the Saints had already flown to Detroit, but it was considered a false positive, and the game against the Lions played out as planned.

Next weekend, before the game against the Chargers, last Saturday the security C.J. The Saints suspended Thomas for at least one game after Gardner-Johnson was stabbed. It is said that Thomas did not like how Gardner-Johnson defended him.

The Saints began discussing the use of Tiger Stadium as their own venue with LSU officials on Tuesday as fans were not allowed to attend games at the Superdome due to New Orleans-specific corona virus guidelines. Although John Bell Edwards signed the Saints ‘plan to have a limited number of fans attend the games on September 1, New Orleans Mayor Lotoya Condrell has rejected the Saints’ demand for 25% capacity for Super Dome games.

On Thursday Cantrell offered his blessing to play the Saints at Baton Rouge, saying at a press conference that Tiger Stadium was “a great place to play temporarily”.

Pencil said the Saints had not made any definite plans until Friday morning for Tiger Stadium.